Clip cap for spring covers



C. A. LINCOLN ET AL CLIP CAP FOR SPRING COVERS Filed Feb. 5. 1924Patented or. 30, 1924.

a: orF E.

CARLISLE A. LINCOLN AND EDWIN F. ROSSMAN, OF .BlIl'IFFALO, NEW YORK,ASSIGNORS TO THE HOUDAILLE COMPANY, O'F B UFFALO, NEW YORK, ACORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

0L1? GAP FOR SPRING COVERS.

Application filed February 5, 1924. Serial No. 690,724.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, CARLIsLn A. LIN- COLN and EDWIN F. RossMAN,citizens of the United States, both residing at Bufialo, in the countyof Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Clip Caps for Spring Covers; and we do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to spring covers and more particularly toa ea or closure forming a part of the cover an designed to enclose theupper portion of the spring clip.

In the type of spring cover or boot disclosed in the copendingapplication of Carlisle A. Lincoln, filed November 27, 1923, Serial No.677,214, a close fitting spring cover of flexible material completelysurrounds the spring and holding clips except at the upper portion ofthe clips where openings are provided in the flexible casing for theprojection of the clips therethrough. These openings are made uponapplication of the cover and the position is. I

of the invention, a spring indicated generdetermined by the location ofthe clip or clips in each individual spring. The closure or cap which isapplied to the upper portion of the spring clip not only seals the edgesof the opening but substantially covers the springclip and presents afinished appearance to the spring cover as a whole.

The object of the present invention is to provide'a new and differentform of clip cap or closure des gned particularly for employment inconnection with spring covers of the above described character.

With this object in view, the several features of the invention consistin certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangementsof parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which willbe obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of theinvention Fig. '1 represents a top plan view of the improved form of capapplied to the spring; Fig. 2 is an end elevation partly in section ofthe cap shown in place upon a s ring; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of thecap with the spring cut away and shown in section; and Fig. 4 is aperspective of the cap before application to the spring.

The cap'or closure shown in the illustrated embodiment of the inventionis designed as a single integral member which may be applied to thespring clip without entirely removing the latter from the spring andwhich is firmly locked in position when the spring clip is completely inplace. The cap comprises generally a relatively thin plate of metal orother suitable material which projects beneath the cross bolt of thespring'clip and bears at opposite edges upon the flexible cover casingadjacent the opening. The cap is also provided with depending wings orflanges at opposite ends which are shaped to enclose the upwardlyprojecting legs of the spring clip and bear upon the flexible casing atopposite sides of the clip, as clearly indicated in the drawings. Thisform of cap is readily applied by" removing the cross bolt from thespring clip, inserting the cap in position with the oppo-' site legs ofthe clip extending upwardly therethrough, and replacing the cross boltabove the cap to lock the latter in place.

As shown. in the illustrated embodiment ally at 10 is provided with aspring clip 12 of the usual form. The clip 12 comprises a 'U-shaped yoke14 held in place upon the spring through the provision of a cross bolt16 passing through the upper portion of the clip and locked in place bya nut 18. The spring is completely surrounded by a flexible casing 20which also surrounds the lower portion of-the spring clip 12, the casingbeing slit across the upper portion to permit projection of the uppervportion of the spring clip therethrough. The opening in the flexiblecasing for the accommodation of the, upper portion of the clip is closedthrough the provision of a cap or closure member 22, which as indicatedclearly in Fig. 4 consists of a plate 24 having oppositelv dependingflanges 26. The ca is provi ed adjacent the ends of the p ate withopenings 28, through which the upper ends of the yoke 1 1 roject, theflanges bein also provided wit a centrally formed. bu ged portion 30 toembrace the legs of the yoke and cause the flanges to engage with theflexible casing at opposite sides, The plate 2a is provided with acentral groove 32 which is adapted to be engaged by the underside of thecross bolt 16 and with downwardly inclined portions 34 which bear uponthe flexible casing at oppbsite sides of the opening, as indicatedclearly in Fig. 2-. It will be evident that when this type of cap isassembled upon ,the spring with the cross bolt of the spring clipreceived in position above it, the opposite edges of the cap are causedto firmly engage with the top of the spring cover adjacent the openingsand the depending flanges are. caused to'engage with the casing at thesides of the spring, the cap being locked firmly in place in such amanner that it cannot loosen or become disengaged. We claim v 1. Thecombination witha flexible casing wrapped about a vehicle spring andhaving an opening for the reception of the upper portion of a springclip of a closure member comprising a plate extending across the openingin the casing beneath the cross bolt of the spring clip and havingdepending portions extending downwardly along the sides of the casing,the closure member having openings for the projection there'- through ofthe upper portion of the spring clip.

2. The combination with a spring clip having a U-shaped yoke member anda cross bolt connected therewith of a substantially U-shaped closuremember having a portion extending beneath the cross bolt of the clip,and side portions extending downwardly and partially embracing the upperportion of the U-shaped yoke, the closure member having openings for theprojection therethrough of the upper ends of the yoke. 40

3. The combination with a vehicle spring provided with a spring cliphaving a U- shaped yoke member and a cross belt of a 'upper portion ofthe U-shaped yoke,

substantially shaped closure member having a portion extending beneaththe cross bolt of the clip, and side portions extending downwardly andpartially embracing the the closure member having openings for theprojection therethrough of the upper ends of the yoke.

4. The combination with a Vehicle spring provided with a spring cliphaving a U- shaped yoke member and a cross bolt of a closure member inthe form of a stamping having a portion adapted to extend across the topof the spring beneath the cross bolt and to be engaged thereby, and sideportions adapted to project about and partially embrace the U-shapedyoke, the stamping being provided with openings for the projection ofthe U-shaped yoke therethrough.

5. A closure member for spring covers comprising a relatively thin platehaving a length approximating the Width of a vehicle spring and providedwith a shallow groove located centrally of the plate and extendinglengthwise thereof, the plate having side portions projectingsubstantially at right angles to the body of the plate. and

openings formed in opposite ends of the plate, the walls of the openingsbeing formed in part by a central bulge in the side portions.

jecting from opposite ends of the plate and having ofi'set-or bulgedparts intermediate the edges, andopenings formed in the ends of theplate and partially surrounded by the bulged portions of the flanges.

CARLISLE A. LINCOLN. EDWIN F. ROSSMAN.

